Table leg joint connection



Oct. 18, 1960 w. w. cs. WHITE' 2,956,850

TABLE LEG JOINT CONNECTIGN Filed Oct. 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

, WINTEBUP W. BWHITE.

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TABLE LEG JOINT CONNECTION Filed Oct. 29, 1957 Fig.5.

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WINTHRDF W E. \A/HIT'E ATTURNE'S'T' TABLE LEG JOINT CONNECTION Winthrop W. G. White, Spring Hill Road, Westport, Conn.

Filed Oct. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 693,190

Claims. (Cl. 311--99) The present invention relates to a combination card and coffee table, and particularly a table leg joint con nection therefor. It has for an object to provide a table of this character which is attractive in appearance, light in weight, and has substantial structural strength. Another object is to provide a combination card and coffee table which may be conveniently folded into fiat form for convenient storage when not in use, and which may be readily converted to either card table use or coffee table use, and in either such uses will present an appearance of permanence without sacrifice of the design characteristics which lend to its integrated association with other furniture forming part of the furnishings of a well appointed living room.

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide combination tables having legs adapted to conversion to long length for card table use and short length for coffee table use, but these have involved mechanical features such as telescoping sections, exposed hinges and latches, and the like, which greatly detracted from the appearance of such tables. It is proposed in the present invention to provide an improved leg structure free from such appearance-detracting mechanical features, and to this end it is proposed to provide legs consisting of an upper section, a lower floor-engaging section, and an intermediate section adapted to be inserted to provide a long leg and removed to provide a short leg, the joint structure between the sections being such that the floor-engaging section may be engaged with either the lower end of the upper section or the lower end of the intermediate section, and in either case will present a smooth appearance, harmoniously blending the adjoining sections together without the use of any visible mechanical features or devices.

Another object is to provide an improved structure whereby any one of the legs may be readily replaced in the event of breakage or other damage.

Another object is to provide a table structure which lends itself to the use of plastic material in the construction of the principal parts of its top and legs, with such resultant advantages obtaining from the use of this type of material as permanent attractive colors in vari ous color combinations, light weight with strength, re sistance to alcohol, burns and scratches, and economical manufacture.

Another object is to provide an improved leg attaching means whereby the legs are adapted to be readily folded into relation with the top and effectually locked in either the folded or extended relation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combination card and coffee table, the same being shown in its conversion arrangement for card table use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the table in its conversion arrangement for coffee table use;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one corner of the table showing the leg sections in separated relation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away, and on a further enlarged scale, showing the jonit connections between the leg sections;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the table with the legs in their extended relation;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view with the legs in their folded position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the table as seen from the underside, and showing the leg attaching bracket means with the associated leg in separated relation;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of one corner of the table with the leg in the locked and extended position as seen in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the leg turned into unlocked position;

FiFg. 10 is a similar view showing the leg folded against the table top;

Fig. 11 is a similiar view showing the leg swung from the position as seen in Fig. 10 to a folded locked position;

Fig. 12 is a further enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 12-12 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the combination card and coffee table, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a top of rectangular outline, preferably square, including a marginal apron consisting of four side strips 10 having mitered ends joined at the corners and provided at their upper edges with inwardly disposed rabbet recesses 11, in which the marginal edges of a rectangular panel 12 are engaged. The side strips as well as the panel are preferably formed of plastic material, the side strips being preferably molded, and the panel being of sheet form, either one piece or of laminated construction. The corner miter joints, and the joints between the panel and the side strips, are preferably secured by cementing, which in the case of plastic materials and well known cements intended for the purpose, produce a substantially homogeneous bonded relation between the parts, thus providing a top structure of extreme rigidity and permanence.

The legs which are connected to the underside of the top for folding movement by bracket means hereinafter to be more fully described, each comprise an upper section 13 connected to the table top, an intermediate section 14, and a lower floor engaging section 15. These sections are also preferably formed of plastic material and are connected by normally concealed connection means consisting of internally threaded bushings 16-16, respectively molded into the lower ends of the upper section 13 and the intermediate section 14, and threaded studs 17-17, respectively molded into the upper ends of the intermediate section 14 and the lower section 15. The cross sectional shape of the legs is in the form of an isosceles right-angle triangle with the right angle sides parallel to the sides of the table top in the extended position of the legs. The upper end of the lower section 15 matches the upper end of the intermediate section 14, so that upon removal of the intermediate section the upper end of the lower section may be secured to the lower end of the upper section to convert the table from the long leg card table, as seen in Fig. 1, to the short leg coffee table, as seen in Fig. 2, and in either case the joints between the sections will be smooth and practically invisible. The upper section 13 and the intermediate section 14 preferably have parallel sides, and the lower section 15 is preferably downwardly tapered and provided at its lower end with a protective ferrule 18.

Each of the legs is secured by a bracket means which also serves to brace the corner structure of the table top. This bracket, indicated generally as 19, consists of a top plate portion of right angle triangular shape, provided along its right angular sides with downwardly extending flanges 21 and 22, the top plate being engaged with the underside of the top panel 12, and the flanges being engaged with the inner sides of the side strips and secured thereto by screws 23 engaged through holes 24 in the flanges, thus prow'ding a rigid brace for the corner structure of the top.

A flanged ball socket 25 is secured to the top plate 20 by screws 26, and is provided with a slot 27 engaged by the stem 28 of a ball member 29 disposed within the socket, the stem 28 being secured as by staking at 30 to a triangular shaped cap member 31 which defines a pocket in which the upper end of the upper section 13 of the leg is engaged and secured by a set screw 32. Any one of the legs may be readily replaced in case it becomes broken or otherwise damaged by simply removing the set screw 32 from the cap member 31 to permit the damaged leg to be removed and a new one inserted in its place. The slot is of such length that it limits the swing of the stem therein to substantially 90 between a vertically extended position and a horizontally folded position. The disposition of the slot is at the side of the socket member away from the flange 22 and thus only permits the swinging movement to take place in a single plane parallel to one of the sides of the top. The ball 29 is yieldingly held in the socket by helical spring 33 disposed between the top plate 20 and a wear cap 34 engaged with the ball surface.

In order to lock the leg in its extended vertical position, a locking lug 35 is extended downwardly from the top plate 20 in inwardly offset relation to the flange 22, and is provided with a horizontally extending V-notch 36 having its divergent open end at the outer end of the lug. Upon one side of the cap 31 there is provided a wedge member 37 adapted through swivelling movement of the leg to be engaged within the notch 36 to rigidly lock the leg in its extended position, the disposition of the lug 35 at the side of the socket member away from the slot 27 positively preventing swinging movement of the stem 28 in the slot.

The operation of swinging and locking the leg is best illustrated in Figs. 8 through 10. Fig. 8 shows the leg in its extended position with wedge 37 in locking engagement with the V-notch 36 of the locking lug 35. In

order to fold the leg it is first given a swivel turn through an angle of to bring the wedge out of engagement with the V-notch, and at the same time to position the inner side of the leg, which is diagonally disposed in the extended position as seen in Fig. 8, to a position as seen in Fig. 9 at right angles to the side of the table top. Thereupon the leg is swung into the folded position as seen in Fig. 10 with the inner side of the leg in parallel engaging relation with the underside of the table top.

In order to lock the leg in its folded position, the slot 27 in the ball socket member 25 is provided at its end with a bayonet type notch 38 in which the stem 28 may be engaged by swinging the leg inwardly as seen in Fig. 11 when it reaches its folded position.

The operation of extending the leg to a vertical position is carried out in reverse order, the leg being first swung from the locked position as seen in Fig. 11, to the position as seen in Fig. 10, from which it is swung into vertical position as seen in Fig. 9, the engagement of the stem 28 with the end of the slot 27 determining this position. Thereupon a swivel turn is given the leg bringing it into the position as seen in Fig. 10 with the locking wedge 37 engaged in the V-notch 36.

What is claimed is:

1. A table leg joint connection for connecting a table leg to a table top for swinging and swiveling movement of said table leg, comprising a movable part including an attaching member for connection to the upper end of said leg, a fixed part including an attaching member for connecting to the under side of said table top, a ball member having a reduced neck radially extending therefrom and rigidly connected to said attaching member of one of said parts, a socket member rigidly connected to said attaching member of the other of said parts and rotatably engaged by said ball, said socket member havmg a slot receiving said neck for swiveling movement therein about the axis of said neck and for swinging movement from a position in which said leg is vertically extended to a position in which said leg is substantially horizontally folded, and a pair of interengaging locking members respectively rigidly connected to said movable and fixed parts, and arranged for interlocking engagement in the vertically extended position of said leg through swiveling movement of said movable part relatively to said fixed part about the axis of said neck.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said locking members are of wedge form.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, further characterized by a bayonet notch in said slot engageable by said neck in said folded position of said leg to retain said leg in said folded position.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that, said ball member is connected to said attaching member of said movable part, and said socket member is connected to said attaching member of said fixed part.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that, said attaching member of said movable part comprises a cap including a top wall and side walls defining a pocket in which the upper end of said leg is engageable, and said neck of said ball member is rigidly connected in perpendicular relation to said top wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 719,146 Schofield Jan. 27, 1903 1,646,175 Thiede Oct. 18, 1927 1,871,686 Hambrook et al Aug. 16, 1932 1,876,010 Kusterle Sept. 6, 1932 1,905,219 Crichton Apr. 25, 1933 1,957,194 Arness May 1, 1934 2,625,454 Brown Ian. 13, 1953 2,702,222 Puls et al. Feb. 15, 1955 

